by Jaylee Davis
“You lying bitch!”
It shocked her when he didn’t believe her. He shouted out more orders.
“Bart, take John and Ray. Search the house. The rest of you spread out and search every one of the outbuildings. Break the locks if necessary. Find that bastard!”
Bethany blinked away her tears and struggled through her pain just to twist her head around. She spotted Shelly kneeling on the ground in front of one of the trucks. Her wrists were lashed to the heavy-duty bumper, and she was crying in obvious pain. The men had used thick zip ties and they’d cinched the plastic straps too tight.
“Let her go!” Bethany shouted at the two men standing guard over her friend. She recognized both of them—Raymond Holden, the local game warden, and Manuel Lopez, a border patrol agent. Both were her two least favorite leerers. “Cut her loose. She’s in pain!”
Raymond snorted derisively. “That ain’t nothin’. If you don’t tell Caleb where that alien is, she’ll be in a world of hurt, and you’ll be next.” They shared evil grins.
Their threats made her blood run cold. Her only hope was to convince them that Vren had gone. Frantic, she looked around and spied Caleb as he walked out of her house. The look on his face was spine-chilling scary. He must’ve been helping his men search her home, and he didn’t look happy with the results.
Caleb stomped over to her. The men jerked her around to face him before they released her and backed away. He towered above her, and when he spoke, his voice rumbled with menace.
“Tell me where he’s hiding.”
“He’s gone, Caleb. They came and took him!”
At that moment, a most fortunate event occurred. She prayed that it added to the truth of her statement. A rushing sound, like wind blowing through thick leafy branches, approached and passed over them. They all looked up in time to catch the sight of a streamlined, shiny white aircraft as it sailed over their position. The illuminated shuttle banked left, then climbed higher and higher until it was out of visual range. Bethany wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Surely, Caleb would believe her now.
He did, but he certainly wasn’t happy about it. “You stupid bitch!”
He backhanded her hard, striking the side of her head with enough force to knock her to the ground. The blinding pain hit immediately after the shock of the blow. The back of her head had struck the running board of the truck as she fell, adding to the agony. Semi-conscious, she was aware she ached all over, but Caleb wasn’t done. He grabbed her hair and jerked her to her feet, then tugged her toward the house.
Bethany struggled to keep up, shuffling her feet and knees when she stumbled in her efforts. The agony was so intense she wanted to pass out just to make it stop. He halted a few feet from the front steps and released her. She crumpled to the ground.
“Torch it.”
“Right, boss!”
Through her pain-filled stupor, Bethany realized what he planned. “No! Stop! Caleb, don’t do—”
He grabbed her shoulders, digging his fingernails into her skin as he picked her up. Bethany stood, swaying weakly in his grasp.
“Shut up! Or I’ll throw you inside to make the news story even better. You caused this.”
The smell of gasoline was strong right before a burst of heat billowed out from her home. Flames erupted and engulfed the structure in minutes.
“Move the trucks back. Hurry!” Caleb hollered to his men.
“I guess most of the boys are still checking the other buildings, boss,” one said.
“Ray and I will help move them,” another man volunteered for himself and Ray.
While the men were distracted, Bethany tore her horrified gaze away from her burning home to search for Shelly. Her friend was gone, no longer shackled to the truck’s bumper. Raymond and Manuel were missing too. Bethany thought she heard Shelly scream again before Caleb pulled her away from the extreme heat of the fire. She managed to put one foot in front of the other, on auto pilot since her mind was too shattered to think and her pain was too intense from so many sources, the least of them being her physical injuries. Caleb eventually shoved her to the ground and then walked away.
Her home was gone along with a man she’d misjudged. A different man from her past had hurt her, over and over, for many months. That memory paled in comparison to what Vren had done. The few short hours she’d spent with him had made her feel alive again and awakened emotions she’d thought were long dead. Now everything was gone. Bethany stayed down, curled into a fetal position and shut her eyes. She was beyond caring anymore. The coolness of the dirt felt almost comforting.
All around her men shouted excitedly. The sound of gunfire filtered into her awareness. She heard the loud whine of a strange engine and had to close her eyelids tighter to keep sand from blowing into them as a strong wind whirled around her. Another barrage of gunfire erupted, then ceased. There was more shouting interspersed with male voices screaming in fear and pain. It was the painful shrieks that brought her around. She pushed up to a half-sitting position and tried to see through the smoky haze. A very angry-sounding growl came from somewhere behind her. Another one, deep and threatening, rumbled in the distance off to her right. She thought the second came from the direction of her barn.
Who let the dogs loose? Were her barn cats safe? Bethany almost laughed at the absurd thoughts, but the motion would just hurt too much. If anything, she needed to find Shelly. A different growl rose above the din of men yelling and shouting. It grew in pitch and intensity until it transformed into a name—hers. It sounded familiar.
“Bethany!”
She couldn’t let her mind play such a cruel trick on her. It wasn’t real. The hallucination called out again, more frantic this time and much closer.
“Bethany!”
“Here,” she croaked, answering her delusion as best as she could.
“Bethany?” The voice tormented her, adding to her pain and misery. “Bethany!”
Heavy footsteps pounded in her direction. A pair of strong, muscular arms lifted her to cradle her gently against a familiar warm chest. Smooth lips tenderly grazed her forehead. They trailed down her cheek and nuzzled into her neck.
“You’re injured and bleeding. Who did this?” Vren’s voice sounded soothing and threatening all at the same time. He easily coaxed the information from her.
“Caleb went crazy when he couldn’t find you,” she said. “He hit me and torched my house.”
“I’m sorry, Bethany. I had no idea human males were capable of such violence against females. You’re safe now.”
“I thought you were gone.” Bethany couldn’t keep a trace of accusation from slipping into her statement.
“So did I, but some of the Taurans refused to leave. They forced Morshant to order the shuttle to fly over your home in order to convince the men we’d left the surface. It worked. We were able to sneak back undetected.” He kissed the side of her neck and groaned. “Please forgive me, Bethany. I should have stayed to protect you. I’ll find and kill the male who hurt you.”
“Oh, please no, Vren. Don’t go,” she pleaded and threw her arms around his neck, afraid if he left her this time she’d never see him again.
He lifted his head to look at her. His eyes glittered with a heated intensity, which rivaled the scorching flames that devoured her home.
“You’re mine, Bethany. I’ll never abandon you again. We belong together, on my ship.”
She was too shocked by his words to speak. Instead, she pressed her cheek against the velvet warmth of his chest, determined to enjoy her waking dream. It was so much better than the nightmare surrounding her.
He kept her securely wrapped in his embrace as he whipped around and walked toward a group of people. At first, she could barely see them through the smoke. They were gathered around a military-style helicopter emblazoned with familiar letters—NASA. The closer they came the easier it was for Bethany to see how the group was divided into two factions, NASA versus the Taurans. The two sides argued,
loudly. She felt and heard the deep, threatening growl that vibrated within Vren’s chest. It grew in volume the closer he approached. A woman’s voice rose above the quarrel.
“They only want to help her! The human males are medics. They won’t hurt the woman. Put her onto the stretcher so they can carry her inside the helicopter.”
Two very deep voices responded. They snarled and growled words in a bizarre language, which Bethany had never heard uttered. She lifted her head to take a better look. It was a shocking scene.
She immediately recognized the shortest alien in the group. However, he stood behind two of the largest, most muscular men Bethany had ever seen. One of them had an unconscious Shelly cradled in his arms, and he seemed extremely reluctant to hand her over. The other giant male stood partially in front of them in a protective stance, and he leveled a fierce glare at Caleb and several of his purist followers who were surrounded by human men dressed in black uniforms. Shelly was half dressed and roughed up. Her blouse was torn and her slacks were gone. Her silk thong remained.
Oh, god. Bethany’s first thought was that her friend had been raped. She knew her concern was more than justified, but what scared her most was the oversized alien’s muscular arm. He’d raised it to point an accusing finger at Caleb. A shiny white blade jutted out along the outside of his forearm and gleamed dangerously with each angry gesture he made.
“Who are they?” she asked, instinctively clutching Vren’s hard chest, trying to grab on to something. Her fingernails must have sunk in because he hissed softly, but he didn’t complain in any other way.
“They’re Taurans. Morshant came to your home. The other two are the ones who convinced him we shouldn’t leave. They’re warriors, and like me, they distrust the human men, especially now. For my species, it’s unthinkable to treat females the way your males do. Apparently, they feel the same way. They don’t want them to tend to your friend.”
“Oh,” Bethany whispered.
They were close enough to the group for her to see bloodstains on the edge of the warrior’s arm blade. That fact alone would explain Shelly’s condition since her friend fainted dead away at the sight of blood, her own or others.
Vren halted a few steps away from the woman who spoke and translated for the group. Bethany visually inspected her friend. Other than a few cuts on her wrist, she looked uninjured, at least the visible parts of her. The large male who held her had her wrapped protectively within his enormous arms, shielding her from anyone’s view. His intense coppery gaze was filled with suspicion and trained on the men who were there to take Shelly.
“Is she okay? Do you think Caleb’s men raped her?” Bethany whispered the question to Vren as quietly as possible.
To her surprise, the alien warrior who held Shelly tore his attention from the men and looked straight at her. He growled viciously as he shook his head. The message was a clear and very direct. No! Somehow, Bethany got the distinct impression the barbaric-looking male had singlehandedly saved her friend from that very situation.
Vren simply drew in a deep breath, and said, “Your friend wasn’t violated.”
However, he did startle her with a threatening growl. It was directed at the man holding Shelly. They glared at each other for several tense seconds.
“What’s going on?” the woman in the group asked.
Vren ignored her. Instead, he spoke to the Taurans in English. “Allow the medics to take her. She needs their help to recover.”
The large warrior, who stood in front of the one who held Shelly, turned his head to look back at his counterpart. He snarled a few words, which sounded like orders. Thankfully, his companion stepped forward and gently placed Shelly onto the stretcher. He straightened, then reached out with one arm and pointed at the two medics. A wickedly sharp blood-splattered blade slid out of his forearm, and he growled out a string of threatening-sounding words. The men paled, their white faces turned toward their female interpreter, questioningly.
“He said he’ll remove your genitals and stuff them down your throats if any harm comes to this female while she’s in your care.” The woman shrugged apologetically.
The alien male nodded, apparently agreeing with her interpretation, before he backed away.
Nice, Bethany thought. She couldn’t agree more. She also realized something else. The aliens could all understand what the humans said. No wonder Vren could understand her, but when he spoke, sometimes the words he used came out with an ambiguous meaning. She wondered if they’d ever be able to communicate.
The woman spoke again. Curious, Bethany listened as she assured the Taurans that there was no reason for them to worry about the female. Also, she politely told them to leave Earth as soon as possible before the news crew arrived. Morshant seemed to agree wholeheartedly. He motioned for Vren to follow.
“A moment, Morshant,” Vren said before he rushed to join the NASA team.
“I’m Marisella Grainger, temporary head of NASA’s biological division and lead xenobiologist for the department, and this is Derek Johnson, our chief of security.” She gestured to the large man standing beside her. He nodded politely, but didn’t extend his hand. The woman continued to stare at Vren, waiting for his reply.
“Commander Vrenden, captain of the Explorer. I regret the trouble my presence has caused for you and your personnel. Thank you for your help.”
Freaking commander of a spaceship?
“And this is…”
Reluctantly, Bethany shifted in his arms. He bent slightly and let her slip out of his grasp. Pain and dizziness washed over her, and she clung to his arm for balance. Somehow, she managed to extend her right hand to the woman and they exchanged a brief handshake
“I’m Bethany Montgomery. Thank you for rescuing us.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to you as soon as we would’ve liked, but I’m glad you’re both safe. We have another crew at your front gate, Ms. Montgomery. They’ll arrive shortly and pick up these local troublemakers.” She glanced behind her at the prisoners. “There’s a special holding facility for them at the spaceport.” She turned her head back around and gave Vren a conspiring look.
He responded with a huffed grunt.
“Our medics can check your injuries during our flight back,” Marisella said.
“Commander, you’re welcome to ride back with us,” Derek offered.
“My orders are clear. I must leave with the Taurans, but Bethany must come with me. She isn’t safe here.”
The two NASA employees stared at her and Vren in obvious surprise.
“I want to go with him,” Bethany added, and without a second thought, she slipped an arm around his waist. In turn, he held her close for more than the required few seconds that constituted a platonic hug.
“Alien fucking whore!” Caleb shouted the insult for all to hear.
Vren released her and growled as he stepped away. Bethany whirled around to face Caleb.
What happened next was a blur in her mind. Caleb broke away from the guards, and to everyone’s surprise, he pulled a small revolver from one boot top and then raised the weapon. Bethany watched in horror as he aimed it at her. In the next instant, Vren grabbed her and twisted around to place his body between her and the gun. Two shots fired in rapid sequence. He jerked and his arms fell away from her. As she sank to the ground, she heard a loud roar that seemed filled with rage and pain before another shot rang out. It was followed by a strangled scream. She looked behind her, scared to death for Vren and frantic to see if he was hurt. An anguished scream burst from her throat.
He was sprawled on the ground, face down and unmoving. His claws were extended and bloodied. Next to him, Caleb was flat on his back. His body twitched uncontrollably. He gripped his throat with one hand and his chest with the other. Both wounds bled profusely. Blood pooled on the surrounding ground, and its accompanying stench filled the air.
It took all her strength to scramble across the space between her and Vren. She reached him before anyone else. He
r hands shook as she tentatively touched each of the two circular wounds on his back. One bullet had entered near his right shoulder. The other wound was lower and closer to his spine. Thick dark red blood oozed from the openings. It stained his beautifully striped skin. His eyes were closed. She bent to press her ear against him to listen for a heartbeat, a breath, anything to give her a tiny bit of hope that he was alive. Nothing.
“Vren, no! No, don’t die,” she pleaded. He didn’t move.
He’d taken the bullets meant for her. He’d saved her and now he was… Unaware of her surroundings and uncaring if she was alone or not, Bethany broke down completely, crying her heart out. He’d come back. He hadn’t walked out on her at all, and he’d wanted to take her with him. He’d said they belonged together. For one brief moment, her heart had dared to soar, and she’d felt complete. Now he was gone, forever. She glanced at the burning remains of her home. Everything she’d ever loved was in ruins, much like her life.
Strong, forceful hands grabbed her. Bethany fought them. Temporarily blinded by tears, she instinctively lashed out at the man who tried to take her away from Vren, but his grip only tightened around her waist.
The Tauran warrior easily lifted her. She screamed and continued to struggle until he shifted his hold and pinned her arms to her side. Bethany blinked back tears as she watched the other one scoop Vren’s lifeless body off the ground. He grunted from the effort, but easily carried him to Morshant. The smaller Tauran male spoke a few clipped words to the warrior, who then quickly carried his burden toward the waiting spacecraft. Morshant rushed over and exchanged a few words with Ms. Grainger.
While she made every attempt to keep sight of Vren, Bethany struggled to escape from the giant who easily restrained her. Once the other warrior entered the spacecraft and she couldn’t see him anymore, she stopped struggling. Overcome with grief, she sobbed, but even through her tears she didn’t miss Marisella’s curious look.
